A Kingly Dinner
by MichAdommyMaroon5
Summary: King Thranduil holds a feast in honor of a settlement guard in the Great Hall. Everything seems to go steady as planned, until the time comes of the feast. King Thranduil's son Legolas is missing the feast and when he does show up, he vents his father's anger. Why is Prince Legolas behaving so strangely? Rating T to be save.


**A Kingly dinner**

**Author: MichAdommyMaroon5**

**Rate: PG**

**Beta: None**

**Note: First Lord of the Rings fanfic.**

**Summary: King Thranduil holds a feast in honor of a settlement guard in the Great Hall. Everything seems to go steady as planned, until the time comes of the feast. King Thranduil's son Legolas is missing the feast and when he does show up, he vents his father's anger. Why is Prince Legolas behaving so strangely? **

Decorations were hanging, food was being prepared, places for the guests were chosen, everything was clean and the invitations were being send and received. King Thranduil's advisor stood in the opening of the Great Hall, observing all the preparations for the upcoming feast of that evening. He was well satisfied by all the great work done in the the hall. After making one more time his round, the advisor left the rest of the preparations over to one of his younger students. One of them would take place in the seat besides their king at the high table, to learn more of being one of the Woodland's advisors. With a last smile to the staff working in the hall, the advisor left.

Leander was one of the students of King Thranduil's advisors, and the one chosen to assist their king that evening. He was looking forward to sitting beside his lord. With a glance around the room, Leander left the Great Hall to take a look at the kitchen staff. Most of the time the kitchen staff could manage, but without the chef keeping an eye on everyone, it was a most nerve wrecking task for the young advisor. With slow strides, the advisor made his way to the large kitchen in the stronghold.

After King Thranduil's opening words of the feast, Leander could finally breathe normal again. When the feast had drawn closer, the advisor had started panicking. _Finally, it's done!_ He thought to himself. It had proven to be a difficult task.

Leander leaned back against his chair, when King Thranduil's strong voice directed a question towards the young elf. Leander sat straight back up, and turned his attention to his lord's face. He blinked again, before daring to ask King Thranduil to repeat the question.

The king turned to him and scolded at him, and then repeated his question. "I asked where my son Legolas was. Surely you must know where my guests are?" Leander didn't miss the dangerous tone in his King's voice.

He thought back to one of his lessons, when his teacher had told him how he should react when his lord was in an unusually way of behaving at the mention of one of his children. Leander couldn't figure out how he was supposedly to be behaving, and guessed he should behave very calm and understanding.

"I do not know, my lord. Perhaps he forgot time at the archery field?" Legolas was known for his admiration of archery, and often spend a lot of time practicing on the archery field. The student in training didn't know if the prince forget time often, but hoped it would save him from another scolding.

The king relaxed slightly when he saw the nervous look on the elf's face, and decided that with scaring him he wouldn't get any better view of the situation. "Perhaps. But I don't think Prince Legolas forgets such an important feast. My son loves to hear stories of warriors, and often stays awake late to hear them. It would be such an odd behavior of him to change that and miss the guest of honor's story..." The king trailed off, and took time to take another look at his advisor's student.

"I do not know, my lord. Would it help you enjoy the feast if I would find out information where the Prince currently is?" Surely, it would help? Beside that, Leander loved to get away of the awkward situation he was in.

Before either of them could say another thing, King Thranduil's daughter Aeglessil interrupted the two discussing ellyn. "Adar, I don't think discussing Legolas's absence is the right thing to do right here. Neither is leaving right now and discussing this in your office. Could you please change the topic? I am sure naneth or any other elf would like your presence or attention." With one last glare at the elves, Aeglessil turned her back at them and walked to the dancing elves outside on the green.

King Thranduil and Leander turned to each other one last time, before Leander excused himself and left the Great Hall in order to find the youngest prince.

Some time later, Leander returned to the hall. The ellon looked more calm and prepared for what might come. When he sat down for several moments, the king turned to him. "Did you find any information about my missing offspring?" The advisor was prepared for this question, and had his words chosen carefully. "Majesty, a warm glow chased the cold out of the heart from your son."

King Thranduil was somewhat surprised by the ellon's choose of words. Off course, it was his head advisor's student. "And what do you mean by that?" The king questioned.

With a sigh, the student answered. "Majesty, your son has been hit by Irmo's arrows." Thranduil was left with another riddle. "You say my son _fell asleep?_" He asked with disbelief in his voice. Leander could easily guess where this was leading to. He didn't mean to get the young prince in trouble...

"No, my lord. I meant to say that Prince Legolas is in love..." He trailed off, he lost it. How was he supposed to tell his lord that his son was too occupied by someone to attend the feast?

Thranduil raised his eyebrow, then continued with the questioning of the scared elf. "Since when? And why do I hear this only now?" How should you answer your lord? He should answer the first question first.

"He probably wants to keep it a secret, my lord." Another raised eyebrow from Thranduil. _Calm down, he won't eat you...Hopefully_.

"And with who is he in love?" _He's not done yet. Better tell him a lot of information at once, perhaps it will catch him off guard._

"It's not that hard to guess. I advise you not to let him show that you know it. If you take a look at him, you will see that his face looks calm, but at the same is wild from his 'Great Love'." Hastily, he said 'my lord' after it.

The two ellyn couldn't continue their conversation anymore. More people started to enter the green to dance, and King Thranduil had the duty as king to dance with his lady wife at least once. He shoved his chair back and took the hand of his wife, then left towards the green.

Leander sighed loudly, and waited for his King to return.

Some time later, the King had returned to the high table alone. The queen had left to talk to her weavers, whom had also received an invitation to the feast. Neither ellyn had talked to each other or anyone else yet, and decided that now was not the right place.

At the middle of the feast, the young prince entered the Great Hall. He smiled weakly before taking his place at the high table. "It smells good. I am not too late, right?" Off course the prince knew it was a shameless attempt to calm down his father's anger, but one can try, can't he? Or at least hope...

Thranduil glared as his youngest, before answering his son carefully. "Yes you are. I take that very ill. Just now when lieutenant Haerelon is attending the feast!" Anger was heard in the tone Thranduil was addressing his son. Legolas took a big gulp before wisely choosing his words, like the advisor in training. He turned around and walked over to the lieutenant for who in honor the feast was held. "Mae govannen, lieutenant Haerelon." The said ellon turned around to face the speaker of the voice, and was surprised to see his lord's youngest offspring. "Mae govannen, Prince Legolas." He answered while he stood up. The lieutenant made a gracious bow before he sat down again. "I am sorry, but I must go. The dinner will start any moment from now, and I am required to sit with my family. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the evening, lieutenant." Haerelon gave a nod of approval, and answered swiftly. "Hannon le, Prince Legolas. Have a fair evening in the company of those you love."

Legolas walked back to his seat and took his place at the table, between his sister and one of his father's close employees. When Legolas sat for a few moments, his father gestured to come closer. Legolas did as was asked. His father spoke fierce and with barely noticeable anger towards his son. "You and I aren't done yet. After everyone has eaten and they are occupied, we will meet in my office. I am not done with you. You are lucky no one noticed the fact that dinner hasn't been served. I have told you an awful times that there was a feast tonight! The son of a king doesn't behave like this, do you understand? Pretend like you enjoy tonight, otherwise the punishments will be a lot worse. Now return to your place." _An order_, Legolas thought to himself.

Dinner was being served for everyone. As soon as a few had eaten some bit of the first course, whispers of disappointment were heard in the Great Hall. One of the villagers from one of the southern settlements commented very negative on the soup. "What is this for a soup?" He asked very loud and with utter disgusting in his voice, after making a dirty face. "That villager is right. It's unable to eat." Another warrior of a settlement said in agreement.

Leander decided that this was something for an advisor to fix. "It is a vegetable soup with special herbs from one of the mannish villages." He answered to the two from the settlement. The villager from the settlement was not done yet, and gave another argument. "Didn't I think so? Herbs from a mannish village! I am allergic to those!"

Leander laughed at the comment from the villager. _Stupid fool_, he though to himself. _You disgust me by condemnation over other races._The villager took it all too personally, and answered offensively to the student. "You didn't knew I wasn't fond of mannish herbs?" He asked, with underlying anger in his voice. To some it sounded like an innocent question, but to those trained in court it didn't. The young ellon wasn't tricked by it either, and decided to finish it as quick as he could. "Yes. Do you find that strange? It's a question of...Shall I call it elven knowledge?" He said with a smile plastered on his ageless face.

The villager wasn't very pleased but decided to 'play along'. "You look like someone who is worth to get to know better." _You don't trick me_, said Leander in his own mind. "My name is Leander. I am one of the advisors from the king." _Better start to recognize your place in this stronghold_. The villager turned his attention now completely to the advisor with a devilish grin on his face. "You look like a very interesting person." _A lie, I recognize one when I hear one_. Everyone who had some knowledge on elves thought that. "There could you be right in. May I shook your hand on our pleasant acquaintance?" Something of the lessons had stick to Leander after all. "Gladly.", the villager answered.

The two met beside the middle of the table. Leander stretched his hand out to the villager and gave him a too strong squeeze on purpose. The villager grimaced and screamed for everyone to hear "Au! Au!", but Leander didn't loose strength. "How so? Don't you like the acquaintance?" He asked innocently. _Two can play at this game_. Meanwhile Legolas tried to hold his laughter back, and Thranduil gritted his teeth between closed lips. _When I get my hands on that student and his teacher..._That was all that Thranduil thought. Legolas thoughts were completely different than his father's. _This is pure entertainment! This is for sure worth being punished.._The rest of the family surely thought differently from both of the ellyn. _What is worse? Thranduil being angered or Legolas enjoying himself too much?_ Mostly this were the queen's thoughts, who panicked by choosing who to help.

After the villager was 'released', he groaned and snorted very loud. Then, he scratched the – in his eyes – pampered advisor. Blood trailed out of the wound the villager had made, which made the poor advisor yelp in surprise and pain. The laughter of Leander was soon replaced by holding back the tears. Nobody reacted, they just started plainly at the two. "But...Look! Did you go completely mad? Your majesty, this villager is a treacherous elf! Look what he did to me!"

All Thranduil did was making the situation worse for his advisor's student. "Hmm...Certainly not someone to shake without gloves." The family raised eyebrows at Thranduil's inside joke. Had their father and husband gone mad? Leander, meanwhile, made a fuss about this. "He scratched me as a cat!" He yelled in frustration. "Why do we have today such an ordinary _quarrel_? I don't get a bite through my throat with you two fighting." _Strangely behavior, meleth nin. _Thought the queen of the Woodland Realm to herself.

"Tell me Leander, how far stands the sun from Middle Earth?" Everyone was completely caught off guard at the king's unusually question. _He must have hit his head somewhere_, thought Thranduil's second daughter amusingly. Leander started to recover from the 'quarrel' and the sudden question and answered with respect and a little uncomfortable tone in his voice. "The men say that it is two million hundred thousand and seventy miles away." _I have no idea how they got to that answer..._

"Do you have a proverb related to this subject you might know?" Thranduil asked the student with amusement in his voice. _How amusing it would be to see him stutter and have no words to say..._The king thought to himself. Though it would disappointment him, because Leander _did_ know an answer. "If the numbers grow, grows the spirit too." Now he was speaking again in riddles! Everyone present thought to themselves.

"Tell me, what is the highest number?" Leander blinked in surprise and thought to himself. _Surely Golwenor must have told us something about this in one of his lessons! Who knew they could save me? _After he thought some longer about it, he suddenly knew the answer. "Your majesty, there doesn't exist a highest number! Even by the highest number there can be add something to." A true smile plastered itself on the ellon's face.

"It is something, the science and the knowledge of some. Don't you agree, lieutenant Haerelon?" _Never forget to include the guest of honor if there's one. Otherwise, pay attention to those who require some. _Thranduil learned that lesson well, King Oropher made sure of that.

"I surely agree." The lieutenant answered before 'diving' into his food. After all, serving as a guard at a settlement was tough work!

While everyone continued eating, King Thranduil glanced quickly at his son, Prince Legolas. He tried to discover if he indeed was in love. "What are you silent. Is there something, pen neth?" The prince glared at his father before answering as neutral as he could. "Me? There's nothing. I bit on a bone." Thranduil raised the much used eyebrow and shrugged it off as odd behavior. Legolas had other thoughts at the approximation by his father. _Surely father, you don't I am that happy after your confrontation? If I didn't think that you didn't know me it all, this would be a proof of it. _The prince was certainly not happy.

Leander had sat down eventually beside the king. After hearing Thranduil questioning his youngest offspring, he leaned over to whisper something in his king's ear. "Very well! Keep going, my lord!" Thranduil turned around to glare at the rudely and unrespectful behavior of the student, but played along again that evening. "Your face betrays something of your deepest thoughts." The king said in a strange voice towards his son. "Excellent." The student said, after nodding encouraging.

"May I guess to the luck that fills your heart?" The king asked his son. "You may, adar. I admit that my face, as my heart, is very happy." _Good, he doesn't avoid the topic._ Thranduil might think that way, but his wife the queen didn't think that. _Now, Thranduil? Where's your mind? This is something that must be discussed in private!_ The queen hid the panic from her face, but inside everything went wrong.

Thranduil leaned over to Leander, and whispered in his ear. "I begin to believe that you are right." He said. Leander couldn't help but smile in the back of his head. He whispered back "He is lovesick." Legolas thought the situation suspicious and decided to come between, "Does someone want any soup?" It came out very unprofessional and nervous. As if Legolas said whom he loved, Leander suddenly irrupted. "O, prince. Clearer you couldn't be!" Everyone turned to stare at the student. The king only asked "Is that so?", before talking to the one in charge of the kitchen. Then the king said loudly enough for everyone to hear that he agreed that the bunny could be served. Several soft cheers were heard from the guests, for they would like to see the tension break at the high table.

After the bunnies were served, lieutenant Haerelon cleared his throat very loudly. Everyone paused to turn to the lieutenant, who had stopped every movement in the Great Hall. "Majesty, I would like to toast on the well-being of you and your family." Everyone agreed and said in union "On your well-being, king!"

Several hours later almost everyone was on the green dancing. The royal family were all growing tired of the feast and some intended to get ready to go to bed. It was past midnight, and feasts like this one were known to continue until the morning or until everyone had passed out or retreated home. King Thranduil glanced for the hundred's time to his son Legolas, for he started to worry about him. Yes, he had been too hard on him. King Thranduil never wanted to spoil his children, but he never wanted to hurt them on purpose either. He also felt guilty for being too fierce, and perhaps taking advantage of eventually wine or his son's lovesick and innocent behavior. Not that his son was allowed to drink wine...

Soon enough most of the wise and responsible elves had retreated home, and two of Thranduil's daughters were already to bed. His queen had retreated to their chambers to read a book or perhaps sleep earlier. Where Legolas was, he did not know. Thranduil had thought to the times when he was younger, and decided that spending on the green with guards guarding him and the palace and with his lover couldn't do much damage. Until his son's lover rejected him. _No, don't think like that Thranduil Oropherion! _He sighed before putting the wine glass down. Drinking wouldn't decrease his worries as a father. With one glance outside, he also retreated to the bedchambers.

The next morning Leander reported himself ready for duty by his teacher and the head advisor of the king, Golwenor. Golwenor stood with his arms crossed in the opening of his office. _Not a good sign_, Leander thought to himself. _Surely, he won't be too hard...?_ Golwenor didn't say anything, but gestured him to follow him inside. When he was inside, the head advisor closed the door hard behind them. He walked to his desk and stood behind it, staring intentionally at him with a stern gaze. After an awkward silence, Golwenor opened his mouth. Not that any friendly words were coming out...

After a long lecture about duty and discipline, the awkward sensation was decreased to an almost bearable level. Golwenor thought long and hard, before asking his student a question he wanted to ask since he heard what had taken place that evening. With that question, the tension was completely gone. "Pen neth, who is the lover of the prince?" Leander only smiled.

Translations

Aeglessil – snow thorn

Adar – Father

Naneth - Mother

Ellyn – Male elves

Ellon – Male elf

Haerelon – Distant star

Mae govannen – Well met

Hannon le – Thank you

Meleth nin_ – _My love

Golwenor – Wise One

Pen neth – Young One

Information

Irmo – Vala, Master of dreams and desires.

**A/N**

Somethings weren't completely true, and some things may not even be possible in Middle-Earth. I still hope you enjoyed the story, for it is my first story in the Lord of the Rings category. And, the first story were I did research for and deepen in the world where the story takes place. Please bear with me for now. I know Irmo isn't like Cupido, but I wanted to make a joke about it. Leander didn't pay any attention to that topic and mixed several things up. Let's pretend that some of the men of Midde-Earth did believe in Cupido and Leander thought Irmo was the Cupido of the elves.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.


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